


Safely Entangled

by keepquietplease



Series: Sanders Sides Stories [38]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, Chubby Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Fae Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Fae Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Fae Deceit | Janus Sanders, Fae Logic | Logan Sanders, Fae Morality | Patton Sanders, Gen, Human Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Mentions of Death, Minor Body Horror, Orphan Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Platonic Affection, Selectively Mute Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sign Language, Starvation, Suicidal Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Sides (Sanders Sides), Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Tentacles, Unsympathetic Light Sides - Freeform, but not in a sex way, friendly affection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27192937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepquietplease/pseuds/keepquietplease
Summary: Virgil was cursed.  His whole bloodline was.  They were to die horrific deaths.  He decided to take matters into his own hands, jumping out of a tree with the plan to die on impact.That's how he met Remus.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: Sanders Sides Stories [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837975
Comments: 28
Kudos: 182





	Safely Entangled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goosi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goosi/gifts).



> Italics are sign language.
> 
> Hi everyone! I'm having twelve panic attacks at once! Yay!  
> My writing schedule will take longer. I need to do well in my classes, and I'm not right now! Yay!  
> I got a tutor, extra textbooks, and made an office space.  
> Academics and mathematics are my life, and they're my main concern. I'll be taking longer to write.  
> It's either longer writing time, or I'm stopping. I don't feel like giving writing up, so I chose the former.

The forest was a dangerous place. It was full of witches, ghouls, fae, and more. The small town in the center of the forest was protected by spells from local sorcerers. They had a giant, iron wall surrounding the town, with charms embedded in each and every crevice. Most people who left were dressed in iron and given satchels that contained scrolls and potions. The scrolls would cast wards when needed. Sometimes the people who traveled would come back with meat and riches; sometimes they'd come back in pieces, delivered to the door of the town's wall. They never brought the bodies back in. They'd burn them right where they were left. The families were usually the ones to do it. Virgil had to burn the corpses of his parents and baby sister at the age of five. He never met his grandparents or aunts or uncles. His family was cursed long ago, and he was the only one remaining. No one in the town would look at him. His adoptive father, the village healer, despised him. They didn't know how the curse spread. Was it genetic or contagious? No one wanted to discover, so he often was hidden away. By the time he reached young adulthood, the curse seemed to vanish. He hadn't perished, and no one he interacted with did either. It caused an uproar in the town. Claims he was a changeling were spreading. He started getting sent out into the forest without the proper gear. He'd always return, carrying the items he was sent for. Sometimes his journeys lasted days, but he was never gone for more than a week.

Maybe they hoped for him to be torn apart by the creatures in the forest. Maybe he wished for that himself. He was always allowed back into the town, never speaking a word. He stopped speaking after his family died, and that only raised more suspicion within their community. During his time in the forest, he'd speak to himself. He was alone, and it felt safer to speak. Sometimes he'd pretend the trees were people, and he'd practice talking to them. He never got the courage to speak to his fellow townsfolk, but the trees were good company.

He was climbing one of his favorite trees, trying to reach a flower that bloomed on the very top. It was a dangerous game he was playing. He had to pass over multiple faery rings. The only reason he was safe was because of how tall the trees were. He wasn't in their domain from this height. He reached the top of the tree, looking over the view. It was lovely. The sun was just setting over the trees, making the forest glow. He liked to pretend this was the magic of all that lived in the woods. He could sit up there for hours without ever wanting to leave. No one would care much. They needed the flower, yes, but they could send more suitable people to find it if he happened to just disappear. He looked down, seeing the thousands of feet drop below him. He briefly considered falling off. People were known to live after this fall due to healers, but he was alone. He could dive straight down. He truly wondered if it would be worth it. He'd finally break the curse. The last of his family would be dead, and there would be no more accusations that he wasn't human. This view of the land wasn't the worst last thing to see. In fact, it was perfect.

He grabbed the flower, putting it in his satchel. If he somehow survived, he didn't want to climb all the way back up. He looked up one last time, taking in the sight of the sun. It was almost gone, settling so the moon could rise from the mountains behind him. Sights like these made him think it was worth living, but he'd always go back to his town and be reminded of his place. He took a shaky breath before pushing himself off of the tree. He kept his eyes open, watching as the ground got closer and closer with each passing second. The wind was cold and harsh as he plummeted. After he was a third of the way down, he started to regret his decision, reaching to grab a branch. He only accomplished breaking his arm before he fell further, now facing towards the sky. The stars were slowly blinking into existence. He was two thirds of the way down now, waiting for the inevitable to happen. He swore he could see a pair of eyes hidden within the stars, staring down at him. Something grabbed his leg, holding him in place. He was ten feet away from the ground, shocked that he was still awake. Maybe he wasn't. This could be a hallucination. It was a tentacle holding his leg, wrapped tightly around him. He was honestly surprised his leg didn't break with how quickly it grabbed him. It lowered him to the ground, moving to inspect the arm he broke. It was gentle, wrapping around the broken limb slowly but firmly. Another tentacle, this one with a sharp tip, reached out of the forest and cut the one around him. It tightened into a cast.

He quickly signed _thank you_ with his good hand. He looked around, and it hit him he was in a faery ring. In an instant, he jumped up and backed away from the sharper tentacle. He didn't know what court this ring belonged to, but if it was malicious, he needed to get the cast off. He heard the fae didn't like when people thanked them, so he regretted doing that immensely. More of them emerged out of the trees, cornering him against the giant tree he fell from. Yes, he wanted to die, but not like this. One came forward holding a jar. It stayed in front of him until he took it, sniffing the contents. Apple cider. If he drank it, he'd be stuck there forever. If he refused, he'd be punished with lifelong torture if he was unlucky, or death if they were merciful. He lifted the jar to his lips, gulping the liquid until there wasn't a single drop left. It was amazing. It tasted much better than what he drank in the town. The tentacles receded at that, slinking back into the trees. Virgil stayed in his spot, sliding down to the ground. 

"That was a nasty fall, wasn't it?"

He turned his head quickly, seeing a...thing. Not what he pictured a faery to look like at all. There was ooze dripping from his eyes, if you could call them eyes. They were more like voids; simply empty sockets that were dripping black goo. His wings were fascinating; there were beautiful, jagged patterns torn into them. Thorns emerged from his head in a crown shape. Virgil just stared, mouth agape.

"Oh, shit, you did sign language. Are you deaf? Why am I asking that aloud? You can't hear me if you are. Wait, you turned at my voice. You're not deaf."

He shook his head, pointing at his mouth.

"Oh, your tongue was cut out?"

_No!_

"Just mute?"

_Sort of?_

"Ah, cool. Cryptic! Can I have your name?"

Virgil paused, debating giving it to him. Did he really have anything to lose? Not really. If he was in control of himself, he'd try to jump off a tree again.

_V-I-R-G-I-L-S-A-N-D-E-R-S. No middle name._

"Virgil? Lovely name, really. Thank you for letting me have it. I always wanted a pet. Why were you in a tree?"

_The town healer wanted a flower from it, and I was sent to get it._

"Without proper climbing gear? They usually send you guys with more protection."

_I'm expendable. They don't waste their tools on me. I'm cursed._

"How dreadful. I love it! Not you being expendable, but the cursed part. Is that why you're mute?"

He hesitated. Technically speaking, yes. The trauma mixed with the hatred he received due to him being cursed made him decide to stop speaking. It wasn't the curse itself. That wasn't part of the deal. A horrific, awful death was part of the deal. Him wanting to draw as little attention to himself as possible wasn't. He shook his head. The creature sat in front of him.

"How'd the cider taste?"

_Really good._

"Good! You do know you can't eat human food anymore, right?"

He nodded, flinching when a tentacle returned and touched his cheek.

"Oh, don't mind them. They're friendly. Curious, and a bit protective, but they're very nice to creatures I like. I've decided I like you. I should, seeing as I'm keeping you. I can call them off if they scare you."

_No, it's okay. What are they doing?_

"They're inspecting you. The one under your hand is asking for pets."

Virgil nodded, patting the one under his hand. It was cold and slimy. It reacted immediately, pushing against his hand as if it was a kitten. He smiled at that, liking the idea of a cat. He wrote his adoptive father notes year after year, asking for one, but he was told it would bear the curse, and he didn't want to see a kitten die. This would have to do for now. He smiled a bit, scratching it's underside. The creature was staring at him--or, facing him. He was still unsure if he saw in a conventional sense. He didn't know much about the fae besides stories, so maybe eyes weren't important. He quickly pulled his hand back, signing quickly. _So I'm stuck here?_

"Yep! You'll starve if you don't stay! Any worldly possessions you absolutely need for survival? Don't want my pet dying!"

He shook his head, feeling immensely calm and tired. A spell. He covered his mouth as he yawned, his eyes growing heavy. The creature laughed, and the tentacles formed a bed for him. He let the one that begged for pats push him onto the mass. The creature put a hand to his forehead, and with that, he was out.

* * *

The tentacles became normal. Virgil got used to them, and after a month in the circle, they got used to him. He used them as practice for speaking when he was sure the creature was gone, not that he left often. He liked monitoring the human closely. He spent their days feeding Virgil and tricking him into stupid things. Sometimes, the faery would tell Virgil to do something, and he couldn't disobey. The acts went from swallowing a worm whole to plunging into icy cold water. He never demanded that Virgil spoke. He never made him do something he was extremely uncomfortable with. 

It had been two years. He was becoming more comfortable with the faery, referring to him as 'octopus' for personal reasons. Every now and then, he debated just climbing the tree and jumping off again. Whenever he thought that, the tentacles would restrain him until the thought left his mind. They didn't snitch on him, and it was driving the faery insane that he didn't know why his loose appendages were restricting his human. There was never an answer. The tentacles couldn't speak, and Virgil refused to share. He was sitting at the creature's feet, painting his toenails. The nail polish was made by the faery. He watched as the human painted, his mouth twisted in a smile. He had lots of sharp teeth, Virgil realized. It would be scary if it wasn't him.

"Remus."

He looked up, putting the paint down. _What?_

"My real name is Remus. You can use it to make me back off. I never had someone sign it, but it might work. Even if it doesn't, I'll know that means to stop."

_It's a beautiful name, but why did you give it to me?_

"You're less of a pet now. More of a friend. I want you to have equal footing. Also, octopus is getting old."

He nodded, returning to painting his toenails.

"My friend is coming today."

The other faery was a frequent guest. He hissed a lot, and he had the lower half of a snake. He knew Virgil's name as well, abusing the power only to have the human hold his hand or hug him. He got cold very easily, and he really could just ask, but he always demanded it. Even Remus wasn't sure why, but it was expected at this point. He didn't enjoy being ordered around. It reminded him of his town, and he hated it. Remus held up a hand once Virgil finished, making the human stop. 

"Why are they inching out?"

He glanced to the woods. The tentacles were making their way to Virgil. He hadn't realized he was having troubling thoughts, but they were there. He hunched over, frowning. 

"Does my friend stress you out?"

_Demands do. Harsh demands. I'll be fine. He never forces me to do_ _something evil or harmful, but I always prepare. They're not here for that._

"You gonna tell me the reason they're here?"

He shook his head, getting up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. He went to shoo the appendages away, hesitating at the trees. He always stayed in the clearing, as were Remus' orders. It wasn't safe, he said. Sure, he got bored in his circle, but he always listened. He quickly signed that he was okay, letting them return to the darkness. He returned to Remus' feet, staring down into his lap. One of Remus' hands went to his head. 

"I'll make him give his name to you. You can repel him if I do that."

_He doesn't have to._

"What's the point of having a friend who's scared of you?"

That made him pause. He was scared of everyone. He never considered just. . . not being scared. It was unheard of in his mind. He nodded, leaning his head against the faery's knee. It was sharp and probably not great for his neck, but he liked being close. Remus handed him a small cake, watching him quickly eat it. Virgil never grew tired of the sweet tastes, and Remus loved to watch him devour the food as if he was unable to stop. He gained quite a bit of weight living with Remus, but both fae that saw him said it made him warmer, so he let himself indulge. It was a honey cake, one that the human was particularly fond of. Remus summoned another one, handing it to him once he finished the first.

"You're always so hungry."

Virgil nodded, placing the second one on his lap so he could sign. _I didn't get such luxuries before. I'm very grateful._

"I'm just saying, we could always destroy that town."

_You couldn't. They have too many barriers to break through._

"Fair point. Counter point, I want to."

Virgil lifted the cake up to his mouth, smiling. Remus was stubborn, but he loved that about the creature. He bit into the confection, hearing snapping of sticks. He looked up to see the other faery. With one look, he got up and hugged him. Words weren't needed in this case. Remus' friend was more powerful with his persuasion, and he was able to make demands with a glance. "Hello Virgil. I see he's giving you sweets again."

He nodded, pulling back and returning to his spot.

"I've met with another coven about your curse."

That was another thing. Both of the fae were helping him figure out his family's curse. Once they found out he was doomed to die horrifically, they decided to find a way to break it. They had no luck so far, but he was still alive, so that was something. 

"They said it may spread if you have biological children, and then you'll die. It's in your DNA, so as long as you don't get anyone pregnant or have a blood transfusion, you'll be safe. Don't let any vampires drink your blood. That'll kill you."

"Can you tell Virgil your name? He's stressed." Remus interrupted, smiling. "He needs to be able to repel us both if he wants to, and my magic turned against me. Ungrateful tentacles almost attacked me the other day when he was panicking about something. He needs to be able to stop us."

"Janus. There. You have it. Now, back to my point." Janus continued, sitting with them. "As long as you're the only one with your blood, you'll stay alive. Great for us, since we keep you under close watch. It's not good if you come across another creature that asks for blood. Blood contracts are fine. Are you sure you don't know how this curse originated?"

Virgil shook his head. _My grandparents told my dad to be scared, and they said it dated back from before they were alive. It's from my grandfather's side._

"That gives us something. We can narrow it down. Shoulders."

He got up, moving behind him to massage his shoulders. He leaned his head against him as he worked. They were able to control his emotions, and he discovered having them relaxed made them more generous. He felt calm and happy, and each time he got a knot out of Janus' shoulder, he felt a blast of serotonin. He smiled as he continued his work.

"What was your grandfather's name?"

_Never learned it. He died long before I came around. Dad didn't speak about him. Once someone in our family died, we pretended they didn't exist. I only knew it was from his side because the town had records of every family that lived there. They wrote 'curse bearer' for his name. They wrote it for all of our names._

"What the fuck is wrong with humans?"

Virgil laughed at that, unable to stop himself from snorting. That was the most noise he made in front of the fae. He froze, looking down. Remus and Janus both grinned, insulting humans more to make him laugh. It worked, partly because they altered his mood so he would find it funny. He had tears running down his face once they stopped their jokes, still snickering a bit. He wiped his eyes, sighing before he bursted into giggles again. _That felt good._

"I'm glad." Remus said, putting a hand to his face. "What's with the crying?"

_I don't know. Pressure on tear ducts? I always cry when I laugh._

Remus hummed, wiping a stray tear. He was careful, not getting his sharp nails in the human's eyes. Janus ruffled his hair, pulling out a small vial of cream. Virgil smiled as he took it, sipping it slowly. Another jolt of serotonin hit him. He felt safe around them. He never spoke above a whisper when he practiced, so it came out as a croak. He played it off as choking on the liquid, deciding it wasn't the time to speak. It was embarrassing, and he felt his mood drop slightly. Not too much, but he still felt disappointed he wasn't able to speak to them.

Soon.

* * *

Virgil was laying down on the ground, staring at the stars. Remus had been gone all day, and he was starting to get worried. He never left for this long. In the seven years he'd been in the circle, the faery didn't trust him to not explore the wilderness. He heard footsteps, sitting up quickly to see Remus. He scampered over, hugging him. He hated being alone. He worried the curse could take the fae, and it somehow spread without his blood. Remus quickly reciprocated, rubbing his back.

"I'm sorry. This was my bad. I got too caught up in researching with Janus. How can I make it up to you?"

He hesitated, pondering the question. Their relationship grew stronger each day. Virgil still didn't make demands or thank him, knowing it was impolite to the fae, but Remus offered him things constantly.

"So, what'll it be?" Remus pulled back from the hug, looking at his hands.

"Cat."

It was still a whisper, him not trusting himself to speak at a normal voice. Remus looked shocked, smiling. "What?"

"Cat?"

"Holy shit! You're speaking! I'll get you a cat! Fuck! I'll find the cutest kitten in the world!"

Virgil smiled, watching as he vanished into the forest again. He came back with a small kitten. A mix between a shorthair and a mau. He took the cat, overjoyed. He sat on the ground, placing the cat on his lap. He gave her pets. Remus sat in front of him, watching his reactions and egging him on to keep speaking. Virgil fluctuated between signing and speaking in one word increments. The kitten was purring, eyes closed and falling asleep on his lap. It was nice. He was worried his whole life that he'd kill a pet the second he held it.

"You gonna name her?" Remus asked, patting the cat's head with his finger.

"Yeah."

"What name?"

He shrugged, looking at him expectantly.

"You want me to name her?"

He nodded.

"I--I don't know. Junior? Is that a human name?"

"A bad one for a cat."

"That was the longest sentence you've said! Amazing! What about Hallow?"

Virgil nodded, wrinkling his nose when Remus gave a victory screech. Remus was already prattling on about how they needed to show Janus that he was speaking. Virgil nodded. _Can we show him tomorrow? I used all of my energy._

"I can provide more energy?"

He shook his head, pointing at the sleeping kitten. The faery nodded, dropping it. He did summon the tentacles to make a bed for the human, touching his forehead to put him to sleep. They'd show Janus in the morning.

* * *

He woke up in a different area. It was bright and loud. The sound of rushing water filled the air, and a stream was the first thing he saw. It was moving quickly, rapids within it. The sun was beaming down on him, something he wasn't used to anymore. Remus' clearing was always dark, and Janus' spot allowed the sun to peek through the trees, but it wasn't this light. He hadn't had full sunlight in awhile, and he didn't miss it. Hallow was missing from his hoodie, where she usually hid. He sat up, looking around. There was a creature pacing. The opposite of Remus. His eyes glowed immensely, and he was almost as bright as the sun. He was talking to two others, one that had green patches all over him, and the other that looked almost human. Once he sat up, all of them turned to him.

"Oh good, you're alive! I thought my brother was going to eat you, so we stole you!" The glowing one said, moving closer. Virgil held his breath, looking around. He didn't know where he was at all. The trees were completely different. He turned back to the figure.

_Where's Remus?_

"What's it doing?"

The human-looking one sighed. "Sign language. It's asking where Remus is. It knows his name."

"How the fuck does it know that?"

He didn't like being referred to as an it, he discovered. In fact, he detested it. _Remus has been taking care of me. Where is he? Is Janus here?_

"It knows Janus' name as well."

"They're not an it!" The green patched one said, frowning. "We don't know the pronouns humans use. Pet or not, we should ask. Hi, you can call me Patton. What are you?"

_I'm a he. Where am I?_

"It wants to know where it is. Sorry, he." Virgil was getting sick of the human-looking one.

_Does anyone else know sign language besides you?_

"No. Also, you're in the safer sector of the forest. Nothing will hurt you here. How long were you with Remus?"

_Nine or ten years now. Did you see a cat there? He got me a cat two years ago._

"How did he not kill you?"

The glowing one looked between them. "What'd it say?!"

"Ten years, at most. It's been living with Remus for ten years, and it's alive. I thought Remus and Janus ate people."

"They said they did! Maybe their diets changed? It's been a couple centuries. Hey, are you hungry?"

_Can I go back home? I want to be back with Remus._

They all hesitated when his signs were translated. Patton handed him an apple, which he placed on the ground. He didn't want to eat and possibly have to stay with these three. He stared at them all, waiting. Waiting to hear he could leave. Their silence was telling. He stood, backing up. The glowing one lifted a hand, and he felt his legs stiffen and freeze up. He couldn't move. The three huddled, discussing what to do. He signed that he couldn't return to his town because Remus fed him, and he wanted to be back with him. They ignored the second half. Patton offered him more food, but he just made a pile with it. He wasn't hungry, and he honestly didn't mind offending them. If they tortured him, he'd accept it. He didn't like being away from Remus or Janus, so this was torture enough.

He was prepared to experience their worst.

* * *

It had been two weeks. Virgil hadn't touched any food offered, and he hesitantly drank from the stream after learning it was regular water. He was hungry, but he refused to eat. The small pile of fruit turned into a mountain of uneaten cakes, creams, and apples. He learned the other two fae's names quickly. Roman and Logan. He still wasn't used to how bright it was, and sleeping was harder without the tentacles forming a bed. He despised the three of them, and he attempted to escape everyday. He almost made it the most recent time, running for miles until he came upon trees he knew. Behind them, it was completely black. The only reason he stopped was because Remus' orders of never entering the darkness alone played in his mind. He was found by Roman and brought back to his clearing. He was never alone after that last attempt. 

"Come on. Eat." Logan pushed a small bowl of cherries to him. There was a chunk of bread that was drizzled with honey resting next to the fruit. "You're going to die."

He shook his head, drumming his fingers against his leg. The idea of food repulsed him at this point. _I want Remus._

"How old are you? You're acting like a baby."

He didn't answer, mainly because he was embarrassed. This was something he would've done as a child.

"Eat the food."

_Why am I being kept here?_

"It's to keep you safe. Pets deserve safe environments, and it wasn't safe there."

_I was safe. I felt completely safe there._

"It wasn't safe at all."

He crossed his arms, ignoring Logan. He didn't know that Virgil had been protected for years from the creatures that would cause him harm. He didn't know anything. Logan sighed, putting the food down.

"Was he that good of an owner?"

_He didn't own me. We're friends. He treated me as an equal._

"Gross. Humans aren't the same. You're all gross and aggressive." He turned to the others. "It said he treated it equally."

"Can't be much of an equal with how Remus is. Fucking disgusting." Roman said, snorting when Virgil got an offended look on his face. "Oh please, he's horrifying. He looks like someone ran over a twig and put wings on it. Janus isn't much better. His jaw unhinges when he eats anything, no matter how small."

_I hate you three. I hate you all. Kill me already._

Logan raised an eyebrow. "You're doing a good job of that yourself. Starvation is so messy."

He wasn't wrong. Yes, his parents came back missing their heads and two toes, and all that remained of his baby sister was her left hand, but Remus said creatures usually killed first and ate later. They didn't torture humans. They simply mutilated those that were dead. Starvation was the worst thing the curse could bring, and it was acting slow. He was lucky that Remus and Janus spoiled him with food. The extra weight was proving useful in keeping him alive. The symptoms showed slower because he had more to burn, but his luck would run out eventually. He may live a bit over a month, but after that, he wasn't sure.

"Come on, one sip?" Patton asked, summoning a jar of milk. He frowned when Virgil averted his eyes. "This is just offensive. You shouldn't reject gifts from us."

_I wouldn't if Remus or Janus were offering. I miss them._

"Wow, you're difficult! I never saw a human who wanted to leave this area!"

Virgil didn't respond, preferring to turn away from them. He watched the woods, waiting for Remus or Janus to find him. They had to. They wouldn't just put all this fake effort into breaking his curse if they'd just allow him to be stolen. He rested his chin on his knees, closing his eyes. He could repeat that they'd rescue him in his mind for decades, but he was starting to doubt it. How could they not have found him yet? How big was the forest? He could go through the whole forest, and it'd take him a little less than a month if he wasn't being cautious.

Tomorrow, he thought. They'd rescue him tomorrow.

* * *

Another three weeks passed, and he was going to die. He still had enough left to last another week, but he was in so much pain. He couldn't do much but lay down and look at the trees, waiting for either death or Remus. He couldn't eat their food even if he wanted to at this point. He'd just vomit. Roman offered to add a droplet of honey to the water to ease him into it, but he refused. He was listening to the three talk, debating just giving him back to Remus. They didn't want to, but they might have to. They were planning on just dumping him in the more dangerous part of the forest, letting whatever finds him do what it pleased. Patton and Roman advocated to drop him off in one of the domains, but Logan made a solid point of how the human was already going to die. They didn't need to waste anymore time on him.

They offered him one last strawberry before knocking him out.

He awoke to darkness. Tentacles were inspecting him. One overeager one was curled next to him like a guard dog. Hallow was at his side, purring and nudging her head against his shoulder. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust so he could see better. 

"Virgil! Oh fuck, what'd they do to you?" A familiar voice rang through the air. Virgil looked over, seeing Remus. He could barely lift his hands to respond.

_I'm dying. Want to go home._

"I'll get you home. It's okay."

Remus picked Virgil up, cooing softly. He summoned water with sugar, making Virgil drink it on the way back. He said he was about to search his brother's sector, but he found Virgil on the way. He was relieved, to say the least. He kept summoning sugar water for him, worrying over him again and again. He was ashamed he didn't find the human fast enough once Virgil signed that he was with those three. He should've known. Janus even said that he saw Logan poking around the area. They didn't suspect a thing until recently. They searched the rest of the world before thinking about that one area. They finally made it back to the dark, cold clearing Virgil missed so much.

"What should I do? We need to ease you into food, right? What can you stomach?"

 _Not much. Just sugar water or honey water._ He signed, wrapping his arms around the fae's neck when he tried to put him down.

"I need to get Janus. I'll be gone for two seconds."

Virgil just tightened his grip, burying his face into his neck. Some of Remus' eye goop dripped on his head, and he felt weird that he missed that. Remus sighed, rubbing his side.

"Just for a second. Then you can see Janus again. Hallow will be right here with you."

He let go, allowing the faery put him down. Remus pressed a kiss to his head before vanishing, leaving him alone. True to his word, he returned in less than a minute. Janus practically threw himself on the human, hugging him tight and constricting around his body. He hissed gently into his ear, refusing to let go. "Our poor dear. What horrid things did they inflict onto you?"

_Not much. I starved myself, which was stupid, but I didn't want to get stuck there. Never gave my name. They knocked me out and dropped me off in the woods._

"Oh no. We need you to eat. You need a lot of food, right? Remus, we have to give him a lot of food!"

"No. We have to ease him back into eating. He can't eat too much. Fuck, you poor baby. I'm so sorry we took so long to find you."

 _It's fine. I was safe from them. I wasn't safe from myself, but I would be safe if I ate._ He signed before rubbing Hallow's ears behind Janus' back. She purred, making him smile. _They said you two ate people?_

"That was a long time ago. Yes. We ate a lot of people."

_Awesome. Remus, join the hug. I would enjoy more warmth._

Remus sat down, hugging him and Janus. It'd take time, but they'd get things back to normal.

* * *

After two months, Virgil could stomach a little more than a slice of bread with butter. After a year, he could eat regular meals with the fae food. He couldn't eat more than the basic three meals he grew up with. After another six months, he could eat desserts after his meals if it was offered. Around that time, he started speaking again. Simple sentences that came out easily. Sometimes he would pause and go back to signing, claiming he saw things in the woods. He got more and more paranoid as time went on, convinced the curse would overtake him. They researched it more. There was no clear way to break it. Even if he didn't spread the curse with his blood, it'd eventually catch up. He would die before he reached fifty. They did the best thing they could with this information.

They got him cursed again, this time with immortality. It wasn't ideal, because if something were to tear him apart, he'd live through it. 

He was terrified, to say the least, but it was all they had.

He was petting Hallow, watching as the fae decorated the clearing with new ivy. He managed to convince them both not to do poison ivy since he had really bad reactions to it. He would help, but he was ordered to sit and say if the colors blended together nicely or if they were an eyesore. They were going for an eyesore look. Remus looked back at him, gesturing to the mess of vines.

He never felt safer in his whole life.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, Tumblr request person, I responded and asked some stuff. Please respond so I know how to write your request.
> 
> I did so much research into human starvation for this. Fun fact: one person starved themselves for 382 days. Look up Angus Barbieri.
> 
> Author fact: I have a new quilt! It's very soft and warm, which is great because the weather is getting very chilly. Also, I'm not allergic to poison ivy. I could lay in it and not get rashes.


End file.
